Songs of Kel and Dom
by Lightish Red
Summary: A collection of oneshot songfics about Kel and Dom. Each one has a different setting and a different situation of how their relationship might have turned out. Which one is truly theirs? You decide.
1. You Don't Know Me

_Author's Note_: This will be a series of random little songfics, mostly lovey-dovey fluffy ones in no real order or plotline ;) They will all be about Kel and Dom because they are my favorite characters to play with… evil grin So just sit back, relax, and listen to the music for the full experience!

As sung by Michael Buble… **You Don't Know Me**

Kel looked up at the walls of Fort Steadfast as she approached, a butterfly of something flittering around in her stomach. A mix between excitement and nervousness—anticipation, she decided. Neal on his mount was a few strides ahead of her and the group of soldiers who accompanied the knights. During the entire short ride from New Hope to the fort, he was either whining to go faster to get to Yuki or he was nudging his horse forward, thinking that that would speed up the others. Kel, as much as she too wanted to get to the fort and the people in it, kept her head about her and made sure to ride smart, travelling at a steady pace and regularly sending out scouts to check for hidden Scanran surprises.

The lady knight's tactics may have been unnecessary since they did not run into any trouble, but she was determined not to let either Neal's or her feelings get in the way of her duty.

"Who's there?" was the shout that came down from wall. Kel nodded to one of the soldiers in her escort to answer the call. The group slowed as the got closer to the gate, which was slowly groaning open to admit them. They filed in to meet a small welcoming party of hostlers and friends.

Kel dismounted along with everyone else, and Tobe grabbed Peachblossom's reins before one of the stable hands could try. "I'll bed 'im and Hoshi down and bring yer things to yer room, Mother," the boy told her. Kel only smiled in reply. By now Tobe knew exactly what to do, and she rarely had to give him directions. That must be the same way real mothers felt as their children grew up, she thought briefly and wistfully.

Her attentions now turned to the assembled party. Yuki had already been caught up in a hug by Neal, so that left her with Owen and Dom. The squire threw himself at the lady knight in a bear hug. Kel returned it with a twitch of a smile on her face. "Nice to see you again, Jesslaw."

When he had released her, Owen started jabbering in excitement, "It's so jolly you're here! And you're to report to Milord Wyldon after dinner."

"Not until tonight?" Kel asked. Usually Wyldon was more prompt about his meetings, calling her to his office almost immediately after her arrival.

Owen shook his head. "He's in conferences all afternoon. So you're free to relax around the fort. I wish I could join you, but I'm still on duty." He gave her a little half-bow and scurried away, calling over his shoulder, "See you at mess, Kel!"

The lady knight allowed herself a small smile at the squire's retreating form. He had grown up a lot under Lord Wyldon's wing, but he was still the same silly boy in many ways.

Her eyes returned to the other man waiting who had waited for the group to arrive. Neal had already released Yuki and was patting his cousin on the arm. Dom was smiling good-naturedly, his blue-eyes twinkling as he traded banter with 'Meathead.'

As Kel stepped over to them, Dom looked over at her. "Hello, Kel. Welcome back to Steadfast," he said brightly, turning and offering his arm for a soldier's handshake. The butterfly in the lady knight's gut started fluttering relentlessly as she reached out to take it.

_You give your hand to me  
Then you say hello  
I can hardly speak  
My heart is beating so  
And anyone can tell  
You think you know me well  
But you don't know me_

Kel had to swallow a few times before she could speak levelly again. "Dom. Nice to see you." His smile was infectious, and she had to slam her mask into place to hide the goofy grin that threatened to take over her face.

"I guess you can spend the afternoon with me, since Meathead here already has a date." The sergeant inclined his head toward Neal and Yuki who had already started walking off, arm in arm. "Was he as horrible as I imagine on the ride over here?" he asked in his relaxed manner.

Kel shrugged. "Not as bad as he could be when we were pages—at least there wasn't any poetry involved. But really he's more serious now when it comes to Yuki. It was just a little bit of lovesickness." She looked up at his face as he was turned to the side to glance at the couple. Could Dom know that Kel had been anxious to get to the fort too? Could he hear the flapping of the butterfly or the pounding of her heart? Could he know how much she wished that he had hugged her warmly instead of just shaking her hand?

He turned back to face her, his kind blue eyes looking at her like he would look at anyone. Who was she fooling? Dom would never be interested in her.

_No, you don't know the one  
Who dreams of you at night  
And longs to kiss your lips  
And longs to hold you tight  
Oh, I'm just a friend  
That's all I've ever been  
'Cause you don't know me_

"I know what you're thinking," he drawled as their eyes met.

"You do?" Kel replied in an almost whisper. The butterfly's wings sped up again. Had he actually guessed what she was feeling? They were standing rather close. Was this the moment where they would lean in and kiss, and she would finally have all of these feelings released? These wild thoughts ran through her head like a stampede of horses, thundering past with their hoof beats pounding at the same time as her heart.

He grinned mischievously. "I know you want to go to the practice courts so you can swing your pig-sticker at me and make me look like a fool. Luckily for you, I'm up for a little exercise. Shall we?" He winked and did a players bow, motioning for her to go first.

Kel rolled her eyes, trying to appear like she was unaffected by his flirtations, and walked ahead. Dom caught up with her a few steps later, and they headed toward the courts together.

The lady knight snuck one glance sideways and up at him and sighed inwardly. After all they had been through together, that was all she got. Without a doubt, her chance was gone.

_For I never knew  
The art of making love  
Though my heart aches  
With love for you  
Afraid and shy  
I've let my chance go by  
The chance that you might  
Love me, too_

They were in sight of the practice courts when a soldier came jogging up to them. Kel nodded, assuming he had a message for her. Maybe Wyldon wanted to see her now, and she could escape the agony of being alone with Dom and not being able to tell him how she felt.

But the man addressed Dom when he spoke. "Sergeant Domitan, Lord Raoul requests your presence in his rooms."

Dom nodded to the messenger and turned to Kel. She quickly spoke first, "My Lord Raoul's here too? Send him my greetings when you go."

"Sure, Kel. Sorry I couldn't spar with you. Maybe tomorrow..." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Well, I'm off. See you at dinner." With that he was gone, striding away from her. The lady knight could not help but feel like he was walking away from her for good.

_You give your hand to me  
And then you say good-bye  
I watch you walk away  
Beside the lucky guy  
You'll never know  
The one who loves you so  
Well, you don't know me_

**

* * *

**

**A few years later…**

Kel stood in the reception line as her wedding guests filed past, everyone there to offer congratulations to her and her new husband. Dom stood back from the well-wishers, watching her smile and glance cheerfully at her husband every few moments. He admired the way her long, white dress fit… He took a long swig from his goblet of wine. It did not matter what he thought now. The lady knight was taken.

_For I never knew  
The art of making love  
Though my heart aches  
With love for you  
Afraid and shy  
I've let my chance go by  
The chance that you might  
Love me, too_

He had been too cautious. Looking back, he saw that his flirting was not enough to tell Kel what he really felt. The sergeant had been so worried about screwing up their friendship that he had not dared to try anything more.

As he brooded to himself, the crowd in the entryway had thinned; the wedding guests had filed into the great hall for the reception feast. Dom finished off the wine and set the cup on a nearby table before joining the end of the line. As he approached, he only had eyes for Kel. He dutifully shook the hands of her parents and her husband's parents, but really he just wanted to hold the hand of the lady knight.

Finally, he was in front of her. She was smiling. Her rough, callused and scarred hands had taken his. Dom stared into her blissful hazel eyes. There was no sign of her Yamani mask today. She was openly and genuinely happy.

"Dom!" she exclaimed. "I'm so pleased Raoul let you off. I would have been so upset if you hadn't been able to come to the wedding."

Dom tried to smile, but only the barest hint of one graced his face. "Me too. I'm to tell you that he wished he could be here, but Buri and the baby couldn't travel yet," he mumbled half-heartedly.

Kel was saying something else, but he could not understand it. He only saw her smiling eyes. "…So please come in, Dom," he heard.

He could not do this. He could not watch Kel dance with her husband and know that his chance was over. Dom took a step back, releasing her hand. "Actually, I can't stay. I've got to be back immediately… Um, congratulations, Kel."

"That's too bad, Dom. Have a safe journey!" She said joyfully. The lady knight took the arm of her husband, and with a final smile for Dom, she walked into the great hall.

He watched her walk away from him for good. "Good bye, Kel."

_You give your hand to me  
Then you say good-bye  
I watch you walk away  
Beside the lucky guy  
Oh, you'll never ever know  
The one who loves you so  
You don't know me_

You never know the  
The one who loves you so  
Well, you don't know me.


	2. Baby, It's Cold Outside

_Author's Note_: Sorry the first one was such a downer. I decided to post these in the order that I wrote them. Hopefully, this one will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and get you in a holiday spirit ;) For clarification, the lyrics are set up as: _(Kel) Dom_.

That winter classic… **Baby, It's Cold Outside**

In a lower city inn in a snowstorm, a group of off-duty soldiers gathered to celebrate the retirement of one of their own. On the bottom floor was a tavern, still mostly full despite the blizzard going on outdoors. The wind blew snowflakes past the one small window in the back private room, but no one bothered to look outside since the fire roaring in the hearth and the drink flowing freely warmed them plenty.

A toast was going on. One of the soldiers had stood up on a chair and whistled for attention. "Now, none of us thought we'd see the day when Sergeant Dom would willingly retire from the Own. Most of us had a bet on a pretty lady draggin' him away…"

The man's next words were covered up by cat-calls and a loud "Here, here!" The soldier on the chair grinned and waited for the noise to subside. Dom himself raised a mug of ale and took a swig in a personal toast to those words.

"As I was sayin'," he continued, "we figured that either a really stunning lady or death itself were the only ways to get rid of him. So Dom, I have to ask ya: whatcha dyin' of?" Laughter and hollers resounded in the small room again.

Dom answered over the fray, "How do you know I _don't_ have a lady, Wolset?" This only drew more raucous noise, and it took even longer for the rowdy crowd of soldiers to quiet down again.

Wolset, still perched on the chair, raised his glass. "Anyway, we men of the Own just wanted to say we'll be missing ya as we march into battle. Three cheers for the old Sergeant!" he yelled. "Hip, hip!"

"Hooray!" was the reply. After the other two rounds of cheers, everyone took a long drink, slamming their drained tankards on the table. This marked the end of the evening, so the soldiers crowded around Dom to slap his shoulder and say their goodbyes. They slowly filtered out in search of more to drink in the main room or of warm beds at the other end of a cold evening's walk, depending on the man.

Soon, all the soldiers were gone, leaving Dom alone with the one woman who had attended his retirement party. As a rule, the lady knight did not drink at big gatherings, but she did enjoy the company of the soldiers of the King's Own she had previously served with.

Kel approached Dom who was standing near the fireplace. He smiled at her, "I'm glad you were able to come, Kel."

"It was a great party, Dom," she returned. Suddenly, she yawned. "Wow, I am getting tired…"

_(I really can't stay) But baby, it's cold outside  
(Got to go away) But baby, it's cold outside  
(This evening has been) Been hoping you'd drop in  
(So very nice) I'll hold your hands they're just like ice_

They shared a long silence, each evenly looking at the other. Each was waiting for the other to speak, and eventually they both broke into grins at the same time. Kel covered up the awkward moment by saying, "I should be going. The palace is a long ride back especially in this weather." She nodded her good-bye and headed toward the door.

Dom, for a moment frozen in place watching her leave, had to run to catch her at the door, his hand taking hers to stop her. "Hey, don't go yet! The storm's only been getting worse—you should wait it out for awhile." Kel turned slowly, and their gazes met.

_(My mother will start to worry) Beautiful, watch you're wearing  
(My father will be pacing the floor) Listen to the fireplace roar  
(So really I'd better scurry) Beautiful, please don't hurry  
(Well maybe just half a drink more) Put some records on while I pour_

Kel first looked down and then somewhere over his shoulder as she replied, "I have to get up early tomorrow to practice glaive work with Princess Shinko, Lady Alanna, and the Queen. They'll be waiting for me."

The former sergeant was persistent. "At least sit by the fire with me and have one last drink. Now that I'm out of the Own, we won't be running into each other on duty anymore. For old time's sake, please?"

Kel looked up at him and nodded. Dom released her hand gently and went to the side table to pour her another glass of mulled cider.

_(The neighbors might think) Baby, it's bad out there  
(Say, what's in this drink) No cabs to be had out there  
(I wish I knew how) Your eyes are like starlight now  
(To break this spell) I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell_

Kel took a moment to glance out the single, small window in the room to see the swirling snow on the other side. "You're probably right, Dom. My horse and I would freeze to death out there." She joined him at the fire, and they both leaned against the mantle facing each other. He handed her a goblet, and she sipped the warming drink slowly. "Nothing like hot cider on a cold night," she said in a friendly way.

She realized that his blue eyes were staring at her, and she timidly met them. Dom could see that her hazel eyes held a question in them.

_(I ought to say no, no, no) Mind if I move in closer  
(At least I'm going to say I tried) What's the sense of hurting my pride  
(I really can't stay) Baby, don't hold out  
Both: Baby, it's cold outside_

Dom took a step forward, leaning in towards Kel. The lady knight looked away to break eye contact, and he had to recover quickly by pulling himself back.

"Thanks for the cider, Dom. And the party—it was nice to see all the men again." Kel walked away and placed her half-full goblet on the table. "Really, I should head out now..."

_(I simply must go) Baby, it's cold outside  
(The answer is no) Baby, it's cold outside  
(The welcome has been) How lucky that you dropped in  
(So nice and warm) Look out the window at the storm_

Her exit was again blocked by Dom. "The storm," he said softly.

Kel shook her head and met his gaze firmly. "It's already late, but I did promise to stop by Yuki's room tonight. She'll be waiting up."

_(My sister will be suspicious) Gosh your lips look delicious  
(My brother will be there at the door) Waves upon a tropical shore  
(My maiden aunt's mind is vicious) Gosh your lips are delicious  
(But maybe just a cigarette more) Never such a blizzard before_

Dom closed the distance between them in two long strides. His arm snaked around her waist and his lips came down softly on hers.

Kel, shocked at first, froze. But the warmth coming from his body told her to respond. She kissed him back and wrapped her own arms around his neck.

_(I got to get home) But baby, you'd freeze out there  
(Say, lend me a comb) It's up to your knees out there  
(You've really been grand) I thrill when you touch my hand  
(But don't you see) How can you do this thing to me_

When they broke apart a few minutes later, they just looked at each other, each one's arms still wrapped around the other and small smiles on both set of tingling lips.

"Domitan," Kel said, her face breaking into a wide grin as she said his name.

"Keladry," he responded in the same tone with the same smile.

At this, Kel threw back her head and laughed. "Gods, what are we doing? I should be on my way back to the palace."

_(There's bound to be talk tomorrow) Think of my life long sorrow  
(At least they'll be plenty implied) If you caught pneumonia and died  
(I really can't stay) Get over that old doubt  
Both: Baby, it's cold  
Both: Baby, it's cold outside_

Despite her protestations, Kel had yet to unlace her fingers from behind his neck. Dom's arms were still wrapped around her waist. He tightened them, bringing their bodies closer together. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "You know, you don't have to go back to the palace. I already have a room upstairs for the night."

Kel's cheek was pressed against his, so he felt rather than saw her smile. "It _is_ cold outside," she whispered back.


	3. Lost

_Author's Note_: Another depressing one, I'm afraid. It is a sad song, which calls for an extremely sad situation. I hope you can still find some beauty in it.

As sung by Michael Buble… **Lost**

Kel left the infirmary with her Yamani mask on. She had not worn it in a long time. Not since she had married Dom, in fact. Not since their baby boy had been born. Not for a good eighteen months.

The lady knight wore a dark blue, almost black dress that swished around her ankles as she stalked the dark palace halls. It was the middle of the night, and only gently flickering torches on the walls lit the way back to her and Dom's rooms. But she had walked this way so often lately that she could have gotten back in pitch black dark if necessary.

When she had unlocked the door and made her way into the bedroom, Kel did not bother to light a candle or change into a nightshirt. She climbed into the empty bed and buried her face in the pillow to cry.

And she silently cried herself to sleep that night.

* * *

When Dom returned to his and Kel's rooms the next morning, he found the door unlocked. Worried, he entered and expertly scanned each room for intruders. In the bedroom, his eyes fell upon Kel, asleep in the middle of their bed and fully dressed. Her hair was mussed and as he got closer, he could see the tracks of tears streaked down her face.

He instantly regretted leaving for the one night. Their little boy was so sick, and the soldier knew that it was taking a toll on Kel, no matter how much she tried to hide it most of the time. He should not have agreed to bring the dispatches to Lord Raoul in Port Caynn. If he had said no, everyone would have understood. But he had wanted to escape for a day from all the worrying and watching their child struggle for every breath. Dom knew he was selfish.

The soldier set his saddlebags on the floor and undid his sword belt, setting the weapon on top of the pile. Tired and dirty from a day and night of hard riding in the summer heat, he sat on the bed anyway, leaning over to brush the hair out of Kel's face. She woke right away to his touch, and tears sprang to her eyes immediately. She turned her face down in shame to hide them.

"Another bad night?" Dom asked softly. His wife rarely cried, even throughout this entire ordeal of their son's illness. It must have been bad.

The lady knight's watery eyes met his. Her chin shook as she told him, "It's over, Dom. He's gone."

_I can't believe it's over  
I watched the whole thing fall  
And I never saw the writing that was on the wall  
If I only knew  
The days were slipping past  
That the good things never last  
That you were crying_

That was how Dom learned that their firstborn child had died. The very night his father had abandoned him, the precious little boy's lungs had failed. The healers had been able to keep him alive for over four months, but the sickness had proven to be too much for him _that_ night of all nights.

They had a private funeral the next day. Kel's eyes under her black veil followed the tiny coffin the entire time, as though her own heart were contained inside. In some ways it was.

Only Kel, Dom, Neal, and Yuki witnessed the ceremony given by the Mithran priest as the infant was laid in the ground. The lady knight did not cry that day, her emotions concealed under that mask of hers. When the funeral was over, Neal tried to touch her arm in sympathy; she slid away from him and the others. He had been their child's main healer, and Kel had not been able to face him since the boy had died. Dom gave his cousin an apologetic look and followed his wife. She beat him to their rooms; he found her already changed into practice clothes and lifting her glaive off of their weapons rack.

She brushed past him, and Dom did not see her again that day. When she crawled into bed next to him later that night, he pretended to be asleep. She did not seem to want to talk to him anyway.

_Summer turned to winter  
And the snow, it turned to rain  
And the rain turned into tears upon your face  
I hardly recognize the girl you are today  
And god I hope it's not too late  
It's not too late_

It had been months—summer to winter to early spring—since their child had died, yet Kel could still not forget him. His smiling face was there every time she closed her eyes. In a chest in the corner of the bedroom his clothes and toys were stored. When she was alone, Kel would open it and let the smell of her baby envelop her. It grew fainter each time.

Dom found her there one afternoon. His wife looked up almost guiltily at being caught in her grieving ritual, and she quickly folded up the blue baby blanket she had been holding, setting it back inside the trunk. He kneeled down next to her, but Kel ignored him, closing the chest and looking intently at her hands folded in her lap.

"Kel," he murmured, "look at me." She did not obey. "Kel, you haven't so much as looked at me in months. Please, stop ignoring me—I'm your husband!" he pleaded, staring at the side of her face with distressed blue eyes.

A tear slid down her cheek, and she did not bother to catch it. "Every time I look at you I see our son." After a pause, she finally turned her face to look at him. Her voice was flat as she said, "It still hurts, Dom."

_Life can show no mercy  
It can tear your soul apart  
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy  
But you're not  
Though things have seemed to change  
There's one thing that's still the same  
In my heart you have remained  
And we can fly, fly, fly away_

"It hurts me too, Kel, but I still love you. I miss you." Dom slowly leaned in to kiss her cheek, tasting the salt of her tears. Whispering in her ear, he told her gruffly, "I want him too, Kel. We can't have him back, but I can still have _you_, Kel. I want _you_ back."

The lady knight turned her face up to him. Somehow their lips found each other, and the couple poured out all their emotions into each other. All the sadness and frustration, anger, pain in one kiss.

_'Cause you are not alone  
I'm always there with you  
And we'll get lost together  
Till the light comes pouring through  
'Cause when you feel like you're done  
And the darkness has won  
Babe, you're not lost  
When your world's crashing down  
And you can't bear the thought  
I said, baby, you're not lost_

When they broke apart, their arms were still wrapped around each other. That was a small and simple comfort after months of being nearly strangers. Kel opened her mouth to speak first. "I'm so sorry—"

She was silenced by her husband saying, "You don't have to say that." Her red eyes looked up at him with questions behind them. "I've felt the same way—he had your eyes." Dom's voice choked up, and he had to swallow hard just to continue. "I should have tried harder. I let you ignore me—I basically ignored you back—but now things _have_ to be different, Kel. I don't want to lose everything we had."

His wife shook her head, and her voice became husky with emotion. "But we lost so much…"

"But we still have each other. We can get through this together, Kel." Dom leaned in and kissed her passionately once more, to remind her of what they had and what they will have again…

Together.

_I said, baby, you're not lost  
I said, baby, you're not lost  
I said, baby, you're not lost_

When they parted again, they just looked in each other's eyes. "Let's go somewhere, Dom," Kel stated. "Just you and me away from everyone."

Her husband nodded in response. "I'll make the arrangements." She gave him a twitch of a smile and buried her face in his shoulder, squeezing him tighter. Dom returned the embrace and kissed the top of her head. They sat there on the floor for hours, lost in memories, but they had found each other again.


	4. We've Got Tonight

_Author's Note_: A little different than the others so far… a lot quieter. And you will have to guess who says the last thing. Enjoy!

As sung by Ronan Keating…** We've Got Tonight**

Kel was tired—body, mind, and soul. Fighting Scanrans all day had taken a toll on everyone. Tortallan forces had won the field, but a few hours after the battle, when the adrenaline had worn off and exhaustion had taken over, victory no longer meant as much.

In the coming twilight, she rode back into the fort on Peachblossom with a long, ragged line of soldiers and knights filing back as well. The usually alert battle-horse's head hung low; he was weary too. Kel's eyes moved slowly over the crowd, looking for the people she knew, checking to see that they made it through the morning skirmishes without too much harm.

Milling around the gate, she saw a group of Third Company men that she had known for years. When their eyes met, one man slowly raised a hand in acknowledgement, and the lady knight nodded back. She only vaguely wondered where Dom was. Inside the walls, she dismounted and handed her horse off to Tobe who had miraculously appeared at her side.

"I'll be up to clean your armor soon, Lady," he told her with a bob of the head.

Kel gave him a small smile. "Take your time, Tobe, and see if you can help anyone around here. I doubt the Scanrans will be able to regroup by tomorrow, so my armor can wait." She rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment. His presence was reassuring and reminded her why she fought today—to protect him.

After a moment, she released the boy and walked away, hefting her glaive on one shoulder. Kel had been released from duty in the field by Lord Wyldon, so she grabbed a few rolls from the mess tent and headed up to her room, munching on them as she walked.

There was a basin of cool, clean water waiting for her there. The lady knight hung her weapons up on their rack and began stripping off layers of armor, mail, and sweat-stained padding. When she was down to her damp tunic and dirty breeches, she rolled up her sleeves and began scrubbing the sweat and grime off of her hands and face in the bowl of cool water.

Kel was just patting her face dry with a clean towel when a knock sounded at her door. She opened it to reveal Dom, leaning heavily on the doorframe with a small grin on his face. Surprisingly, he was totally clean.

"So, Sergeant Domitian, how did you manage to find a bath at this time?" she asked teasingly with her eyebrows raised. "I just got back and all I got was a washbasin."

"Some Scanran managed to scratch me up pretty good this morning, so I've been back at the fort all afternoon. I got a nice soak after my healing. But when the infirmary started to fill up I figured I should free up a bed for someone who really needs it," he explained.

Kel's eyes widened and unconsciously scanned his body for the injury. "Dom! You should be resting after a healing!" She opened the door wider and stepped back. "Come in here and sit down before you pass out on my doorstep."

The soldier pushed himself off of the doorframe heavily and took the few steps across the room to perch on the end of her bed. From his movement, the woman could see that he was favoring his left side. Letting the door swing shut, she approached him, shaking her head. "And how badly did you get 'scratched,' Domitan?" she said in her best admonishing mother tone.

In answer, Dom lifted the edge of his shirt up, revealing a bandage thickly wrapped around his abdomen. On the left side, there were spots of blood where the cut had reopened. Kel sighed in despondency, "You meathead—that's a _little_ more than a _scratch_." She held out her hand to the wounded soldier. "We're putting you to bed. _Now_."

"Hey!" he responded with false distress, "I'm not the meathead in this camp!" Nevertheless, he did not try to argue about the going to bed part.

Dom took her hand and heaved himself awkwardly, trying not to jolt his bad side. Without saying anything, Kel propped herself under his left shoulder with an arm around his back. Side-by-side like this, they walked down the hall to Dom's room. Kel did not move away as he unlocked the door, swung it open, and stepped inside. She led him all the way to his bed and helped him sit. As he stayed there, the lady knight lit the few candles around the room. Then, she kneeled before him and gently pulled off his boots.

"Never thought I'd have a Lady Knight putting me to bed," he said amusedly as she tugged the second one off.

Setting the boot aside, Kel looked up, meeting his weary blue eyes with her tired hazel ones. "Well it's a night of first for everyone then… I never thought I'd see you get cut up, Dom. You should be more careful," she replied quietly. The knight had never seen him this hurt. He was hiding the pain fairly well, but Kel knew that an injury like that would be more than just stinging. He would be off combat duty for three or four weeks at least, regardless of if the stubborn soldier would admit it or not. And it all scared her.

Their eyes stayed locked, each one trying to read the others.

_I know it's late, I know you're weary  
I know your plans don't include me  
Still here we are, both of us lonely  
Longing for shelter from all that we see  
Why should we worry, no one will care  
Look at the stars so far away  
We've got tonight  
Who needs tomorrow?  
We've got tonight  
Why don't you stay?_

Kel's eyes were worry and weariness. Her body was tired from the exertion of the battle that day, yes, but her mind was also troubled by the things she had seen and done. No knight, no matter what they ever said, could ever get used to the things that happened in war. And here was the greatest illustration of a warrior's fear—a wounded friend. It was all too much this time.

Dom's eyes just held a question with a lot of doubt swirling around behind it. The physical pain was suppressed for now.

Somewhere inside them, each knew exactly what the other was feeling. Kel set her hand lightly on Dom's knee in a gesture of comfort. His warm, dry palm covered hers, curling his fingers around it. "Don't go, Kel," he said softly.

_Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely  
All of my hopes, fading away  
I've longed for love, like everyone else does  
I know I'll keep searching, even after today  
So that there it is  
We've got it all now  
And here we are  
What do you say?_

Kel looked down. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Dom. We're at a fort in the middle of a war… It's not the best time to start anything foolish. And you need some rest." She tried to slip her hand out of his grasp, but he only gripped it harder.

"Exactly, Kel. There are no guarantees here," the soldier told her. "I got a reminder of that today." The lady knight almost winced at the reference.

_We've got tonight  
Who needs tomorrow?  
We've got tonight  
Why don't you stay?  
I know it's late, I know you're weary  
I know your plans don't include me  
Still here we are, both of us lonely  
Both of us lonely _

"Just come up here, Kel," he instructed. She obeyed reluctantly, rising from her kneel to sit on the bed next to him, her eyes downcast. One hand still holding hers, Dom used the other to tuck some loose strands of hair behind her ear. He slowly tilted her chin up, bringing her gaze back up to meet his, and ran his thumb along her jaw and across her lips.

The lady knight leaned forward and pulled her hand out of his grip so she could wrap both of her hands around the back of his head and neck. She pressed her lips to his lightly.

One of his hands ran though her hair and the other wrapped around her waist. He slowly lowered himself back, pulling her down with him. But Dom let out a sharp exhale as his cut was jarred by the movement. Kel sprang apart from him. She helped him to lay flat on his back with the pillow under his head. With one last gentle kiss, she climbed over him and off of the bed. The soldier grabbed her arm. "Don't, Kel," he said almost pleadingly.

She brushed him off firmly with her other hand.

_We've got tonight  
Who needs tomorrow?  
Let's make it last  
Let's find a way  
Turn out the light  
Come take my hand now  
We've got tonight  
Why don't you stay?  
Why don't you stay?_

Kel moved about the room blowing out the candles. By the light of the moon streaming in through the window, the soldier watched her walk to the door. But instead of walking out it, she locked it. Dom half-lifted himself up as she returned to the bed. The lady knight pressed him down and climbed back to the other side of him, careful not to jostle his wound.

She settled herself in and then leaned over Dom to shower him with a few more kisses which he answered eagerly. When Kel broke off, she laid her head on his shoulder and let her arm rest on his chest. She was content to feel it rise and fall with his breath. One of Dom's hands covered the one on his chest, and his other arm snaked around her and pulled her in closer to his side.

"And don't forget, this is just for tonight."


End file.
